Coat hanger



Oct. 23, 1962 J. H. ATTs 3,059,823

COAT HANGER Filed Jan. 28, 1960 INVENTOR JOHN H. BATTS BY Qua/W ATTORNEY! United States Patent Filed Jan. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 5,160 1 Claim. (Cl. 2238S) This invention relates to a new construction for a coat hanger. More particularly, this invention relates to a molded plastic coat hanger of generally inverted, V-shape, utilizing a construction enabling a substantial reduction in the amount of material required in the fabrication of the hanger.

Molded plastic hangers are becoming increasingly important in the coat hanger art. Hangers fabricated of molded plastic are pleasing in appearance, extremely durable and much cheaper in cost when compared with conventional wooden hangers. The cost of molded plastic hangers is directly proportional to the amount of plastic material utilized in each hanger. Consequently, the amount of plastic used in a hanger must be reduced to a minimum, yet producing a hanger of acceptable strength and durability. Any reduction in the amount of plastic necessary for these purposes constitutes an important contribution to the art.

Coat hangers presently known are shaped somewhat like a flattened inverted V, with a rod for holding a pair of trousers connected between the lower ends of the legs of the V. All hangers presently in existence have included thick, strengthened members joining the apex of the V and the ends holding the trousers rod in place. These thickened, strengthened portions have always been considered necessary, if the hanger is to exhibit proper strength and durability. However, I have found that these areas of the hanger need not be thickened and strengthened as previously thought. These portions may in fact be very thin and of a small vertical cross section. This will be more fully explained hereinafter when the functioning of the various parts of a coat hanger are described in detail.

It is an object of this invention to provide a coat hanger of acceptable strength and durability which substantially reduces the amount of material required in its fabrication.

Another object of this invention is to provide a molded plastic coat hanger which utilizes tension portions between the apex of the hanger and the ends receiving the trousers rod, the tension portions having a small vertical cross section.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a plastic coat hanger which exhibits great strength in the environment used, yet greatly reduces the amount of plastic in the hanger by means of a totally new construction in the hanger art.

These and other objects of this invention will become obvious to those skilled in the hanger art upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the coat hanger comprising this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hanger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane III-III of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane IV-IV of FIG. 1.

Briefly, this invention relates to a molded plastic coat hanger of inverted generally V-shape including a rigid rod, a rigid enlarged terminal portion secured to each of the ends of the rod and a rigid enlarged header portion at the apex of the hanger, a support element for the hanger secured to the enlarged header portion. A thin tension portion joins the enlarged header portion to each of the 3,959,823 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 enlarged terminal portions. These tension portions are of a vertical cross section such that they are flexible under normal operating loads imposed on the hanger in the absence of the rigid rod described.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates an embodiment of the hanger comprising this invention (FIG. 1). The hanger 1 includes an elongated rigid rod 5 adapted to support a pair of trousers. A rigid, enlarged header portion 10 is at the apex of the hanger 1, a support element 12 for the hanger being secured to the enlarged header portion 10. A rigid, enlarged terminal portion 20 is secured to each of the ends of the rod 5. A thin tension portion 30 connects the enlarged header portion 10 to each of the enlarged terminal portions 20, the thin tension portions 30 being of a size such that they are flexible under normal operating loads imposed on the hanger 1 in the absence of the rod 5. This will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Each rigid, enlarged terminal portion 20 which is secured to the ends of the rod 5 has a substantial vertical cross section, enabling it to support considerable vertical loads. The substantially vertical cross section of the terminal portions is preferably achieved through the use of a minimum amount of material, FIG. 3 showing one means of conservation of material. The terminal portions 20 preferably have a vertical cross section substantially greater than the cross section of the rod 5. The rigid, enlarged header portion 10 at the apex of the hanger also has a substantial vertical cross section, enabling this header portion to also support a considerable vertical load. The substantial vertical cross section of the header portion is preferably achieved through the use of a minimum of material, FIG. 4 showing one means of conservation of material. The thin tension portions 36 have a horizontal cross section suflicient to enable this portion of the hanger to withstand normal side loads. However, the vertical cross section of the tension portions 30 is small, so small that these tension portions would be downwardly flexible under normal operating loads imposed on the hanger 1 if the rod 5 were removed from the hanger.

Turning specifically to FIG. 1, the operation of this new hanger construction will now be explained in detail. When a coat is hung on a hanger, the load is distributed as follows. Since the hanger is shaped like a somewhat flattened inverted V, much of the over all weight of the coat is distributed downwardly to the ends of the hanger. The collar of the coat is draped around and envelops the enlarged header portion 10. The weight of this portion of the coat also tends to be distributed downwardly to the ends of the hanger, but since the coat cannot tear apart this weight is in fact concentrated on the header portion 10, generally at its center. Most of the Weight of a coat is concentrated in its sides, arms and shoulder portions including the padding. Therefore, due to the generally flattened inverted V-shape of the hanger and due to the physical shape and structure of the coat which is hung thereon, practically all of the weight load is concentrated on the areas A, B and C of the hanger 1 as shown in FIG. 1. It has already been shown that these portions of this hanger have substantial vertical cross sections, enabling them to withstand substantial vertical loads. The tension portions 30 have a very small cross section since very little of the weight load is borne by these portions. This is, therefore, one reason why great quantities of material may be eliminated at these parts of the hanger. This has not been realized heretofore and consequently all hangers presently in existence have utilized thickened, strengthened portions at these points.

There is another and perhaps still more important reason why material may be eliminated at these points. It has already been stated that the tension portions 30 have a vertical cross section such that they would be flexible in the absence of the rod 5 in the hanger 1. When the weight load of a coat is imposed on the hanger, being concentrated at areas A, B and C as described above, the tendency of the end terminal portions is to bend downwardly. However, they cannot bend downwardly in a hanger construction if the rod 5 is rigid and the portions 20 are of sufficient cross section to withstand the load. To move downwardly, the end terminal portions 20 Would have to compress or bend the rod 5. This they cannot do. Consequently, it will now be seen that the actual weight load borne by the tension members 30 is in fact minimal since the only real purpose they serve is to connect the terminal portions 20 with the header portion 10. The only force of any consequence acting on the tension members 30 is that of tension throughout their length between the header portion and the terminal portions 20. There is in fact no vertical load to speak of which they must bear. One need not be concerned with their snapping through vertical movement because the rod 5 absolutely stabilizes them since the terminal portions 20 can move neither upwardly nor downwardly. This is another reason why appreciable amounts of material may be eliminated from these points in the hanger.

Turning to FIG. 2 it will be noted that the embodiment of this invention shown includes tension portions 30 which have a horizontal cross section sufiicient to withstand normal side loads. The horizontal cross section of the tension portions 30 must be substantial because the rod 5 cannot protect these portions against lateral loads and stresses. Therefore, the tension portions 30 are preferably of a horizontal cross section suflicient to withstand normal lateral loads and stresses which occur through normal use.

This invention has shown a new coat hanger construction such that considerable amounts of plastic normally used in the molded plastic coat hangers may be eliminated. Although these materials are eliminated, the coat hanger exhibits proper strength and durability under normal operating conditions. This invention enables plastic coat hangers to be molded at a considerable reduction in cost to the consumer, which in turn decrees which hangers will find a market. All of these results are accomplished without detracting from the physical appearance of the hanger.

While only one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it may be possible to practice the same through the use of certain other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Such other embodiments are to be included within the spirit and scope of this invention unless the following claim expressly states otherwise.-

I claim:

A molded plastic coat hanger of inverted generally V- shape, comprising: a rigid rod; an inverted generally V- shaped coat supporting member having a pair of diverging legs and an enlarged header portion at the apex thereof; a support element for said hanger secured to said enlarged header portion; the terminal portions of each of said legs enlarged and each receiving one end of said rigid rod; the portions of said legs connecting said enlarged header portion to said enlarged terminal portions being of a small cross sectional area; and said area being of a size such that said legs are downwardly flexible under normal operating loads imposed on said hanger in the absence of said rigid rod.

References (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,229,371 Wordingham June 12, 1917 1,695,580 Edmundson Dec. 18, 1928 2,114,803 Kurucz et al Apr. 19, 1938 2,310,058 Bolten et al. Feb. 2, 1943 2,585,094 Ambrosio Feb. 12, 1952 2,822,967 Spitz Feb. 11, 1958 

